Emmer Green Primary School

Emmer Green Primary School Grove Road, Emmer Green, Reading, RG4 8LN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  The impact of teaching over time on pupils’ progress is outstanding because teachers consistently plan lessons that stretch all groups of pupils.  As a result, pupils make rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics so that by the time they leave in Year 6 standards are consistently above the national average in English and mathematics.  The headteacher and other senior leaders, supported by the governing body, bring a strong ambitious drive to maintain and improve the school. Consequently, the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement has improved since the previous inspection.  Pupils feel very safe and thoroughly enjoy school. Consequently, behaviour in and around the school and pupils’ attitudes to learning are excellent.  Relationships are excellent with pupils consistently showing care and respect for each other and all other adults.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 34 lessons and part lessons and observed 16 teachers. Some lesson observations and the scrutiny of pupils’ books were conducted jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including the school’s own data, self-evaluation and school improvement plan.  Inspectors listened to pupils read, met with different groups of pupils and interviewed a sample of teaching staff.  Responses from 65 parents and carers who completed Ofsted’s on-line Parent View were received and analysed.

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Inspection team

Gillian Bosschaert, Lead inspector Additional Inspector James Henry Additional Inspector Linda Rowley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage, with an increasing number from minority ethnic backgrounds, many of whom speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is below average.  The proportion of pupils with disabilities and special educational needs supported at school action, at school action plus and with a statement of special educational needs is well below average.  There is a breakfast class governed by the school’s governing body.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the involvement of pupils in their own learning by: – ensuring pupils have more consistent opportunities to respond to the guidance given in marking – ensuring targets in English and mathematics are used more consistently in lessons to help pupils understand how to improve further.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make rapid progress from their starting points in basic reading, writing and mathematical skills. They benefit from a range of interesting and stimulating activities and move in to Year 1 with skills and knowledge at, or above, those typically expected for children of this age.  Pupils make rapid progress across Key Stage 1. This is due, in part, to pupils’ progress being carefully tracked to ensure rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Very effective teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) helps pupils to develop very secure reading skills. Additional assistance from specialist teachers also helps pupils in need of extra support to develop their reading skills very well.  Pupils achieve outstandingly well in Key Stage 2, although their progress in some years is slightly more rapid than in others. For example, pupils make more rapid progress in reading in Year 3

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

than in Year 4. Attainment is significantly above the national average in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium make outstanding progress, so too do pupils who are disabled and those who have special educational special needs and, as a result, gaps in achievement between groups of pupils are closing rapidly. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make significant progress. This is because activities are planned very well to meet the needs of different groups of pupils.  In lessons pupils often make rapid progress. For example, in one outstanding lesson pupils had no knowledge of similes at the beginning of the lesson but by the end they identified them easily. In another outstanding lesson, in Mandarin, pupils learnt the stroke order of Chinese writing and successfully wrote characters for themselves.  Pupils have many good opportunities to read, write and use mathematical skills in other

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

subjects. For example, the daily cookery lessons offer opportunities to write invitations and measure quantities as well as follow recipes.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The impact of teaching over time is outstanding because all teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Demanding tasks are set by teachers that pupils enjoy and respond to with enthusiasm. Pupils work well together, they willingly discuss and explore questions, research unaided and help their classmates with their work. This enables pupils to make rapid and sustained progress.  Teachers have high expectations of their pupils which ensure that pupils of all abilities are able to achieve as well as they can.  Newly qualified and other experienced teachers who join the school are carefully supported and guided by senior leaders so that their teaching rapidly reaches the same high standards as others.  Teaching assistants provide consistently good support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs that allows them to be fully involved in lessons and make outstanding

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

progress given their starting points.  Typically in lessons, teachers are highly effective in moving around groups of pupils, for example in extending vocabulary through good question and answer sessions that enable them to gauge pupils’ understanding and address any misconceptions. In a Year 6 lesson, for example, pupils’ mathematical understanding was enhanced by the clear explanation given by the teaching assistant.  However, the marking of books is not consistently of the same standard in every class. Whilst it is generally encouraging, it does not always give enough opportunities for pupils to respond to guidance. Moreover, targets are not consistently used to help pupils understand how to improve further.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils are exceptionally well behaved and are warm and welcoming. They open doors for visitors and are very polite at all times to one another and adults. They are very caring of each other. One pupil, for example, was seen to place an arm around another to comfort him spontaneously after he had fallen over.  The very large majority of parents who responded to the Ofsted questionnaire on Parent View agreed that the school ensured that pupils were well behaved and that bullying, if it did occur, was dealt with effectively.  Pupils say they feel very safe because behaviour is good in class and around the school and incidences of bullying are extremely rare. Pupils are aware of different types of bullying and are confident that staff would deal with it should it occur.  The school is highly effective at helping pupils keep themselves safe. For example, pupils talk with enthusiasm about safety on the internet, road safety and cycling proficiency, fire

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is outstanding

drills and ‘stranger danger’, which all contribute to pupils’ outstanding understanding of being and staying safe.  Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy opportunities to explain their contribution to its community. Eco prefects, librarians and school councillors are all eager to explain their contributions.  Pupils explain how they manage themselves with minimum adult intervention and set their own rules for classroom behaviour.  Attitudes to learning are highly positive because staff manage behaviour very effectively with good use of rewards.  Attendance is above average and the number of persistent absentees is exceptionally low.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher and her two deputies are a strong team, which is highly effective in leading the school forward. They are enthusiastic and inspiring with a determined approach to ensuring the school continues to improve. They are highly effective in providing feedback to staff and have been successful in improving teaching from good to outstanding.  Self-evaluation is clear and accurate and the partnership with the local secondary school is very strong. Secondary teachers enhance the curriculum in areas such as Mandarin and so increase the provision for the school’s most able pupils in particular.  Middle leaders, who have responsibilities for different subjects, are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. However, they do not have regular opportunities to check the quality of teaching in lessons and, thus, spread the very best practice more widely.  Senior leaders are highly effective in managing the performance of teachers who say they feel

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The leadership and management are outstanding

supported and are given access to training to successfully improve their teaching, and to develop as individuals. For example, training for teachers on how to improve writing has resulted in standards rising. The appraisal system is used very effectively to ensure that pay progression is linked very closely to the progress of pupils.  Senior leaders and subject leaders have clear responsibilities and are successful in actively researching how to ensure that pupils get the best from their subject in order to attain outstanding results.  The school promotes pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development extremely well. Assemblies, for example, reinforce the school’s values and sense of community very effectively. Cultural aspects are evident in many aspects of the curriculum. For example, a dance lesson was linked creatively to the theme of Diwali. Groups of boys and girls shared ideas to create their

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The leadership and management are outstanding

dance and offered constructive advice to other groups on ways to improve.  The curriculum is rich, varied and balanced. Pupils are confident users of information and communication technology, and research at school and at home to deepen their understanding of themes, with the result that they enthuse consistently about their topics. For example, a recent University Courses theme for key stage 2 pupils, demonstrated in assembly, caused great excitement in the playground.  The school is very committed to equal opportunity for all its pupils. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are well supported and are helped to join in all activities in the classroom and in the playground. Discrimination in any form is not tolerated  Relationships with parents are very positive and Parent View analysis showed the vast majority felt that the school was well managed and their child was happy in school.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Governors are highly effective and have a thorough knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and very clearly focus on progress and attainment of pupils and the quality of teaching. Consequently, they are very effective in managing the performance of teachers and leaders, ensuring that pay increases are justified. Governors visit the school regularly and robustly hold leaders to account by providing regular opportunities for senior leaders to feedback on attainment and progress of pupils. This enables them to challenge the school’s performance compared with other schools nationally to ensure high standards are maintained. Governors are highly effective in managing the school budget and are fully aware of how the pupil premium is being spent, and they monitor how effectively the school is closing the achievement gap for these pupils. They regularly undertake professional training to

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The leadership and management are outstanding

ensure they are fully effective in fulfilling their role.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 109794 Local authority Reading Inspection number 403094

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 473 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Gareth. Roberts Headteacher Mrs Tonia Crossman Date of previous school inspection 25 March 20008 Telephone number 0118 901 5464 Fax number N/A Email address admin@emmergreen.reading.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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